COTTON CULTURE 19 



crop every third year the small grain and cow-peas 

 and a partial crop of cow-peas one of the remaining years 

 (with corn). 



Moreover, the cotton fields that are to be planted to 

 corn the following year, may be sown down in September 

 or October to such legumes as crimson clover, bur clover, 

 or vetch, and fertilized with potash and phosphoric acid, 

 the crop to be turned under early in spring. 



In sections where red clover succeeds well (limestone 

 regions), it may take a two years' place in the rotation 

 following cotton, intermitting corn, and itself followed 

 by small grain. 



By adopting and faithfully following one of the above 

 systems, modified according to circumstances, it will be 

 easy to bring up, in three or four years, the productive 

 capacity of the soil from one-half bale of cotton, or twelve 

 bushels of corn, or twenty bushels of oats, per acre, to 

 double or even treble and quadruple these amounts. 



A smaller area in cotton, which would be necessary 

 under such a plan, may be made to produce a larger num- 

 ber of bales at a smaller cost per pound, and therefore 

 yield a larger profit. A somewhat reduced area in corn 

 and a much increased area in small grain and legume 

 (cow-pea) hay, supplemented with suitable pasture, would 

 sustain and fatten for market the improved animals bred 

 for that purpose, and these would return to the soil a large 

 quantity of rich manures for the improvement and en- 

 richment thereof. 



